Representatives of the French Football Federation (FFF) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are invited, on Friday morning, November 8, to the Ministry of Sports to review the conditions under which a tifo in favor of Palestine could be deployed two days before at the Parque de los Príncipes, before the Champions League match against Atlético de Madrid. They will be received by the minister, Gil Avérous, and the secretary of state in charge of citizenship and the fight against discrimination, attached to the Ministry of the Interior, Othman Nasrou.
In the latter’s environment, it is estimated that UEFA, the European organizing body of the competition, “underreacted” by announcing on Thursday that he would not initiate any proceedings against the capital club. This prohibits any messages in stadiums. “of a political, ideological, religious nature” if you consider it offensive and you can resort to the sanctions provided for in article 16.4 of your disciplinary regulations. But the immense canvas that proclaims “Free Palestine” (Free Palestine), on top of a banner that called for “war on the ground but peace in the world”exhibited at the Auteuil stand, “It cannot be considered provocative or insulting in this specific case”estimated.
On social networks, members of the Collectif Ultras Paris (CUP) – the largest group of PSG supporters – at the origin of the typhus, assured that“in no case” This “I did not intend to convey a message of hate, but quite the opposite”.
additional tension
Before UEFA’s decision, on Thursday, the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, had harshly criticized the typhus in question, considering that “I had no place in this stadium”. “I ask PSG to explain itself and the clubs to ensure that politics does not harm sport, which must always remain a catalyst for unity”wrote the tenant of Place Beauvau on his account X and shortly after added on Sud Radio: “I want to know more, to know how this tarp arrived, how it could have been deployed… I asked the police chief to tell me what had happened. (…). I demand accountability. Solemnly. » Gil Avérous had also denounced, in “unacceptable deviations”. “Sports fields should not become political platforms”he added.
Paris Saint-Germain was not aware of the content of the message contained in this typo, says a club source, who wishes to underline “that the Parc des Princes is – and must continue to be – a place of communion around a common passion for football”. “When PSG says they were not aware, we have the right to ask ourselves if they are making fun of us or if their security system is totally defective”argue people close to Nasrou.
This matter creates additional tension, a few days before the meeting between the French soccer team and the Israeli team on November 14 at the Stade de France, in an international context of multiple confrontations in Porche-Orient. The organization of this party is particularly complex in terms of security.
Belgium had given up hosting the Israeli team in September; the meeting had been moved to Hungary. In October, Italy opted for Udine and a small venue, with the creation of a “red zone” forty-eight hours before the start and with a small number of spectators, for their duel. In mid-October, Bruno Retailleau reiterated that the match with Les Bleus would be held in Saint-Denis, but left the door open to a possible reduction in the stadium’s capacity. Violent clashes broke out in Amsterdam on Thursday night on the sidelines of a Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv.
